Defining English Medium Instruction: Striving for comparative equivalence

Abstract

English Medium Instruction (EMI) has been defined as ‘the use of the English language to teach academic subjects (other than English itself) in countries or jurisdictions where the first language (L1) of the majority of the population is not English’ (Macaro, 2018, p. 19). This definition has proved to be controversial but has underpinned the work of our research group, from whose collective perspective this article is written. Debates have centred on the role that English language development plays in EMI contexts, and whether this current definitional scope is too narrow in its exclusion of English medium educational practices in Anglophone settings. Pecorari and Malmström (2018), for example, observe that some members of the EMI research community interpret EMI more broadly to include ‘contexts in which English is a dominant language and in which English language development is supported and actively worked for’ (p. 507). Similarly, Baker and Hüttner (2016, p. 502) state that excluding Anglophone contexts from EMI is ‘unhelpful’ by failing to include the experiences of multilingual students in Anglophone universities who learn through their second language (L2). A focus on multilingualism is also one of the driving forces behind the emergence of new terminology that seeks to shift focus towards the contexts of education, rather than instruction and pedagogy. Dafouz and Smit (2016), for example, prefer the term English-Medium Education in Multilingual University Settings (EMEMUS), because the ‘label is semantically wider, as it does not specify any particular pedagogical approach or research agenda’ (p. 399).

A Systematic Review of Generative AI and (English Medium Instruction) Higher Education

“…This is to be expected given the nature of the phenomenon of focus of the present study. Therefore, in order to obtain comparative insights and offer correlative findings with clear application on matters such as teaching and learning, assessment, and research, amongst others from the wider context in which EMI HE finds itself embedded, a number of studies have also been included which relate to the academic subjects in HE which form such a key component of the EMI educational phenomenon (Rose et al, 2021).…”

Student support and teacher education in English for Academic Purposes and English Medium Instruction: Two sides of the same coin?

“…Earlier, I expressed the concern that Macaro's distinction between EMI and Anglophone contexts might lead to the disregard of ESP/EAP's theoretical and pedagogical achievements because they have traditionally been associated to Anglophone higher education. The defence article by Rose et al (2021) reinforces this concern, as it demonstrates either a lack of awareness of, or a lack of interest in, ESP/EAP activities in the 'old' EMI regions. Their claims that Macaro's definition helps to guide 'curriculum developers and practitioners to address language needs' as well as address 'the unique challenges of teacher competence and professional development' also ignore existing ESP/EAP work in the areas of student support and teacher education.…”

“…As a response to criticisms of Macaro's definition, a recent article by Rose et al (2021) proposes five arguments in 'a research-informed defence for maintaining an explicit definition of EMI that refers to English medium educational practices in predominantly non-Anglophone contexts' (pp. 1-2), which I will address in turn.…”

“…There is a range of studies, particularly in the Australian context (e.g. Fenton-Smith & Humphreys, 2015;Murray, 2022), that discuss collaborative activities leading to the integration of language and literacy instruction into content teachinga model similar to CLIL that is regarded as desirable for EMI teacher education (Rose et al, 2021;Schmidt-Unterberger, 2018). In Australian universities, there is a long tradition of academic language and learning (ALL) practitioners being affiliated with specific departments where they work closely with subject lecturers to embed language and literacy support into subject curricula.…”

Implementation of English as a Medium of Instruction Policy in Schools: A Systematic Review

“…The term English as a medium of instruction (EMI) is defined as the use of English to teach academic subjects in educational institutions in countries where English is not used as a first language (Rose et al, 2021).…”